I also found this from another seller on Ebay.....take a look at the pink text!
MAC COSMETICS - HOW TO SPOT FAKES by EXPERIENCED SELLER
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wc-racer
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FAKES & COUNTERFEIT | MAC EYE SHADOW | MAC LIPGLASS | MAC BRUSH | MAC FOUNDATION
**SEE IMPORTANT UPDATED INFO ON FAKE MAC BRUSHES!
**SEE MY GUIDE ON MAC PIGMENTS FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO SPOT THESE FAKES.
***NEW INFO ON FAKE BRUSHES -VERY, VERY GOOD FAKES!!!!!
***NEW UPDATE: 3/18/08:
RE: #169 ANGLED BLUSH BRUSH FROM THE FOLLOWING COLLECTIONS: SPECIAL EDITION RACHEL WELCH, SHAPE & SCULP, AND BEAUTY BLUSH - This brush was re-released with each of these collections, however, MAC had some left over from the Raquel Welch collection, so they were just mixed in with the new ones from the other 2 collections. **SOME OF THESE BRUSH HANDLES SAY THEY WERE MADE IN CHINA - AND SOME WERE MADE IN JAPAN (the information below, states that if the brush says it was made in China, these are fakes so I want to clarify this since they have now made a limited edition brush in China, and it could be other new limited edition brushes also - but NONE OF THEIR REGULAR BRUSHES ARE MADE IN CHINA). THIS INFORMATION HAS BEEN VERIFIED BY MAC!! SO FAR, THE 169 BRUSH IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WILL SAY MADE IN CHINA (AND SOME OF THE WILL SAY MADE IN JAPAN SINCE THEY ARE LEFT OVER'S FROM THE OTHER COLLECTION).
It can be very difficult to spot fake MAC products on Ebay sometimes, so ASK QUESTIONS IF THERE IS INFORMATION MISSING REGARDING THE ITEMS. I have even seen a few sellers stating in their auctions that their products are authentic when I know for a fact, they are not!
I recently read a few of the guides regarding fake MAC and not all of the information is accurate and some have been written by inexperienced MAC users and/or sellers. For example: MAC DOES HAVE SAMPLE PRODUCTS they use for display and/or testing by customers and many times they don't use all that they receive for this purpose. However, they are usually still boxed and ALWAYS will give the color name, then say SAMPLE, ON THE LABEL. So these ARE authentic MAC and are the exact same size as the full retail sizes. All of the information on the fakes in my guide have been verified by MAC.
Please copy these guides so you'll have them for quick references in the future!
One of the best ways to protect yourself from these fakes is to know how to spot them and buy from a reputable seller! I realize that few people are voting on any of the guides anymore (it takes less than 1 min.), and I'm also aware that those who vote that they did not find the guides helpful, are probably the sellers who have/had something to hide, & this info will affect their sales if they continue with these types of items.
There have been buyers who claim a MAC product is fake, if there are subtle differences, such as the type slightly higher or lower than usual or other minor change. Remember that MAC products are made by machines, so they will NOT all be perfect. Also, MAC does change their packaging, labels, etc., at times, so never accuse a seller of having fakes, unless you have confirmed the fake with MAC (talk with a manager because there are some newer makeup artists who aren't familar with all MAC or older MAC products and they will say the item is fake, just because they aren't familar with it. I am seeing changes in alot of my new stock from MAC (straight from MAC), including the new UPC code stickers. Some of the information on their boxes is also changing (including the pigment boxes), so please do not assume it is fake if different from products purchased in the past. MAC is constantly making changes to their products and boxes (though no recent ones until now). This doesn't mean that fakes won't be made, as new ones are coming out all the time and I do not have time to keep up with this due to my new business (very exciting if anyone is interested - it is not what some people think when they read my about me page)! It is so easy & profitable!
Here are some ways to identify the fakes (please see my other guide on the fake pigments because there was too much information on them and space was limited):
- ALL MAC brushes will have the MAC name AND number printed ON the brush handle. If it does not, these are fakes - they are NOT misprints! If the listing doesn't state the brush number or if they use a stock photo from MAC, be sure to ask if the name/number is on the brush handle. Just because a brush isn't in a plastic sleeve, this does NOT mean it's fake. Brushes can easily slide out of these sleeves, even when shipping so they can get lost or damaged. ***NEW INFO ON FAKE MAC BRUSHES 2/10/07: There are several sellers (some with over 200 all positive FB) who are selling FULL SIZE, all black brushes with the MAC name and number on them - but they are all black, including the metal part. The BIG difference is that the brush handle also states, "China" or "Japan", written in WHITE OR GOLD. ***Some of the authentic MAC brushes, DO have a very faint "Japan", "USA", or even "France" imprinted on the handle. Not all of the brushes have this, but most do. I have never seen an authentic MAC brush with "France" or "Japan" written in white or other color (it should be basically, slightly carved into the handle, or stamped INTO the handle and some are very, very, very faint so you can barely feel them).
PLEASE NOTE: THE KEY TO THE FAKE BRUSHES WITH CHINA, FRANCE, ETC. ON THE HANDLE IS IT WILL BE IN WHITE, GOLD, OR OTHER COLOR OF PAINT. THE AUTHENTIC MAC BRUSHES ARE STAMPED INTO THE BRUSH BUT ARE BLACK, NOT COLORED. The fakes are getting better but can still be spotted, although you may not be able to tell this until you receive them, unfortunately.
RE: ALL BLACK BRUSHES: There are AUTHENTIC special edition sets (short handled brushes) that are all black. The FAKE ALL BLACK brushes (even the metal part is black) are "full-size" brushes (not short handled sets as these are real) and the face and/or blush brushes are much fatter than the real MAC brushes and are pretty obvious.
6/2/07 NEW FAKE BRUSHES THAT ARE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO AUTHENTIC MAC BRUSHES!!! There are new fakes being sold (and most buyers AND SELLERS do NOT know they are fakes until they use them a few times), that are FULL-SIZE and most are almost identical to the authentic brushes!! If you do not have the authentic brush to compare these fakes to, you will be fooled. There are very small differences with most of these brushes but the best way to tell you how to spot these fakes is to simply say that THE HANDLES HAVE A SLIGHT SHIMMER TO THEM when looking at them out of the plastic, in good lightening and with the naked eye (this does NOT apply to special limited edition sets that have colored handles - they may have slight shimmer and are authentic)!!!
Authentic MAC brushes are matte black with NO shimmer, to the naked eye. The ONLY MAC brushes that do not have not matte black handles, are the special edition SHORT HANDLED SETS - and these come in different colors (THESE ARE AUTHENTIC). These fakes with the slightly shimmery handles, will also have a strong odor of lacquer (unless they figure out a way to reduce the odor). In many cases, you will need to take them out of the plastic sleeve to see this shimmer - and look at them in good lighting! Authentic MAC brushes will often have a slight lacquer odor also, but with the fakes, it's very strong.
PLEASE BUY FROM A SELLER WITH ALOT OF FEEDBACK, NOT JUST A FEW HUNDRED AS THESE SELLERS ARE BUYING THEM FROM THE SCAM ARTISTS AND DO NOT KNOW THEY ARE FAKES (they do not have enough experience with the brushes). OR if the seller has even 100,000+ feedback, but sells NO MAC except some brush sets, with black handles, BEWARE!
I have seen this, so they are only buying them due to the great price they're getting, and they don't even realize they're fake. Some sellers, especially inexperienced ones, don't realize they are reselling fakes, so if you get a fake, always email the seller, as they will usually give you a refund if they didn't know their brushes were fake.
There are other sellers on Ebay right now, who DO know they are fakes, and are selling them anyway. There are a couple who have MANY different id's (listed in different cities and states, although it is the same person), and they keep opening new id's as the other ones get too many neg. feedbacks or as they get suspended. Those with fake MAC brushes, will many times, also carry fake Bobbi Brown and fake Chanel brushes.
This is all I will say about the differences in fake versus authentic MAC brushes, because it will get too confusing, but there are other slight differences you can see if you compare them to the authentic brushes. So just look for the slightly shimmery handles!!
The ONLY exception to this, is the #187 Duo Fiber or "Stippling" Brush! It has the same matte handles that real MAC brushes have and all I can say is to try to get one that is in it's plastic sleeve WITH THE UPC on the sleeve if possible!!!! This fake will also "bleed" when washed. This brush does shed more than the authentic ones (they all shed a tiny bit - THE #187 SHEDS MORE THAN OTHER BRUSHES).
BUY FROM A REPUTABLE SELLER! It is very hard to spot these new fakes! You will have to take the 187 brush, into MAC and compare it to an authentic one (look at the metal ferrule because it is different on the fakes, but I can't describe this difference). If you ever have any doubt, please call any MAC store (you can do a google search to find one), and just tell them about the shimmery handle.
I realize some of this is confusing but unfortunately, since all of MAC's brushes are not the same, and the fakes are always changing, it IS confusing. Remember that are may still be some of the fakes with the painted on, MAC name on the brush (at least these are easily spotted in a picture), but the main ones being sold right now are the ones with the slightly shimmery handles and strong lacquer odor (real MAC brushes DO have lacquered handles, but have a very faint odor - believe me, you will smell this when you open the package on the fakes)!
PLEASE REPORT THESE SELLERS TO NOT ONLY PAYPAY SO YOU CAN GET YOUR MONEY BACK, BUT ALSO TO EBAY SO THEY CAN BE SUSPENDED!!! ***NEW INFO: The counterfeiters have now counterfeited the UPC code stickers, so now you can't use this as a way to be sure the brushes are authentic.
**Some of these fake brushes are sold individually, but others are being sold in 8pc sets (or 9, 10, etc.), and most with a MAC brush case (not real either). I can not stress enough to only buy these brushes from a reputable seller! Someone with 100-200 FB, who have sold 20-30, MIGHT have all positive feedback on these brushes, because the buyers do not know they are fakes (most I have talked to, realize they are fake AFTER they leave feedback). BEWARE of a few sellers with over 2,000 feedback - and about all of it is good, HOWEVER, ONLY A FEW RECENT FEEDBACK (like within the last year - they could just now have started using that Ebay id and may be using one that belongs to a family member, friend, or stolen one)!
***I have seen a few experienced sellers (power sellers) with over 1,000 feedback who are selling these fake brush sets with the black roll type brush case or a rather flat one that zips on 3 sides. These are usually 8pc sets.
- Eye Shadows: They do NOT have a little mirror and applicator! If they do, they are fakes. Some sellers of the fakes will say that European countries use a number code, instead of a color name, but this is not true. Although most (not all) MAC eye shadows DO have a number (such as A75, they do NOT have numbers such as 02, 03, 9, 6, 8, etc.), and the authentic MAC again, will also have the color name along with this letter/combination (if they have a number at all) - THIS IS IN ALL COUNTRIES! It is possible for the little color label to come off of the top of the box, BUT IT WILL NOT COME OFF OF THE BOTTOM OF THE EYE SHADOW ITSELF, UNLESS IT'S BEEN REMOVED. Also, all of the fake eye shadows , when you receive them, will have the name Prismique, Lustre then a number like 02, 03, 6, 7, 9, etc.
Last, if you see an eye shadow box that is an odd shade or color, or has 3 colors of eye shadows in one pot, these are obviously fakes. The fake eye shadow boxes are not quite the same size as the real ones, but you won't be able to tell this unless you compare them side by side.
**MAC does NOT make an eye shadow palette with 8-12 different colors of cream eye shadows!! There are a ton of these eye shadows on Ebay right now. They ARE pretty, but they aren't real either! MAC has recently started making a cream type of eye shadow, but there is only 1 color per eye shadow pot.
**As of approx. 7/08 - MANY of the standard and limited edition eye shadows, have been counterfeited. There are too many to list, and in order to tell if they're fake, you have to destroy the pot/eye shadow. Sorry, there is no easy way.
- Blush: This is another common counterfeit product. It's usually the peach color, called Peaches, #08. Again, all others are fakes if they do not have the color name or JUST HAVE a number such as 08, 06, 7, 5, etc.
- Lipglass: These are the easiest to spot if you can see the box. The fake boxes have little windows in the boxes so you can see the colors and the real MAC does not. These fakes are called Pro Moist. They are also represented by the same numbers (02, 03, etc.), rather than real color names.. I agree that the fake lipgloss tubes are thinner and longer, but MAC's Lacquer's are also longer than the lipglasses so make sure you know what you are looking at.
- LipGelee: There will be no box and the name on the tube is different than the color (all of the fakes will have the same color name and they will be the pinks/corals). The seller will say that they are misprints. True misprints are very, very rare. If you know your lipgelee colors, then you will be able to tell if it's authentic. I have never seen a fake in: Who's That Lady, Dame In A Dress, or Cool & Aloof (these shimmery ones haven't been counterfeited). Again, they are not fakes if they are in their retail boxes too.
- Foundations in the compacts: These fakes are advertised that they come with a free refill - the real ones do NOT!!
- Loose Powders: There are alot of these being sold on Ebay that are NOT BOXED. If not boxed, ask the seller if the regular color label is on the bottom of the jar or if just the color (i.e. NC20) looks stamped or typed on the jar (and no label). The authentic ones will have a label on the bottom of the jar with the color and it will say MAC (all of the jars will say MAC on the front of them). I have asked a MAC manager about these loose powders without the labels and she could not confirm they are fakes, however, I have seen the sellers with all of the other fake MAC, selling these powders in lots of 20-100 or more. So if not boxed, ask the seller if the label is on the bottom and if not, either call MAC and ask them or buy at your own risk.
- Liquid Eye Liners: So far the only fake I have seen is the color Stilleto (NO box and the tube was different than the real thing).
**As of approx. 9/08, there have been fake MAC glitter eye liners also seen on Ebay. The counterfeiters are capable of coming out with new fakes at any time, and I can not keep this guide up to date like I would like to do, so just be careful.
IMPORTANT: All of these fakes (except pigments), whether it's eye shadows, blushes, lipglosses, etc., the UPC code "sticker" is printed WITH THE BOX AND IS NOT A REAL STICKER at all (THE AUTHENTIC MAC WILL HAVE STICKERS FOR THE UPC CODE). Also, even though the fakes will have a NUMBER STICKER on the top of the box instead of a color name sticker, the fake UPC code area (that is meant to look like a sticker) WILL have a letter/number, like the real ones do (i.e. A23, B32, etc.) BUT THE STICKER ON THE TOP OF THE BOX WILL STILL ONLY HAVE THE NUMBERS LIKE 02, 03, 6, 9, ETC.).
Also, if you receive more than one eye shadow, or other item, but in different colors, look at the UPC code numbers. If they ARE fakes, they will have the exact same UPC code number on all boxes, no matter what the color is. There are several sets of numbers in the UPC code: there is one set of numbers (in the middle) that ARE the same as the authentic MAC numbers (73602 is the middle set on all real & fake UPC code numbers), but all other numbers will be different from MACs, and again, all colors will have the same UPC numbers if they are fakes. Each color and category of items of the authentic MAC WILL have a different UPC code number (except for the center set of numbers - they are the same, even on the fakes). The different sets of numbers, tell the MAC registers/computers, which item and which color you are buying. This sounds rather confusing, but if you have a MAC box in front of you, you'll understand. The older fake pigments that do come in a box, do not have a UPC code on them (it is not printed with the box, nor has a sticker), but the newer fakes, have UPC code stickers that look authentic.
Then of course, there are pigments that have a UPC code that LOOKS like a sticker but is actually printed WITH the box, and these are fake. ***Approx. 10/08: THE NEW DAZZLEGLASS (not the first release), have the UPC codes, printed WITH the box, they are not stickers - and they ARE AUTHENTIC!!
****NOTE REGARDING UPC CODE STICKERS! Some sellers remove the UPC code sticker to avoid having the item purchased cheap then returned to a MAC store for full credit (some buyers try to get great deals, then return the items to the MAC store for full price credit), HOWEVER, you will see sticker residue left from the sticker being peeled off if this is what they have done!
Again, the best way to protect yourself is to read the listings completely and ask questions if any information is missing, and buy from reputable sellers and ALWAYS PAY THROUGH PAYPAL SO YOU ARE PROTECTED IN CASE YOU DO RECEIVE FAKES!
Most MAC sellers are honest, and would never risk losing their Ebay account (or feedback), by selling fakes (which is why most sellers of the fakes, only have 20-40 feedbacks - if they get suspended, they have nothing to lose). The exception is a seller that I just saw with 200 positive FB's, who was selling the fake brushes, so maybe they do not know they are fakes. If you buy fakes or see fakes being sold on Ebay, REPORT those auctions to Ebay so we can get these fakes off of Ebay!! You can copy my guides on the fake MAC products so you'll have them for easy reference.
Please see my guide regarding the fake pigments and regarding a fairly new scam on Ebay that involves fake sign-in pages, when just viewing an auction! This scam stopped for a long time, but is back! Many are having their accts. hijacked by this scam.
Have a safe, and happy shopping experience!
wc-racer
I'm just so upset.
